Device for adjusting the cover of a sunroof of an automobile

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for a sunroof that contains at least one cover part for selectively closing and at least partially opening an opening in a rigid roof surface of an automobile. The apparatus is used in conjunction with a roof opening that contains a base part with side parts that lie opposite one another and define a longitudinal direction. The sunroof includes a cover part that can be tilted as well as slid along the longitudinal direction. The apparatus includes a cover carrying element that is connect to the cover part and can be pivoted about a cam pin which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction and can slide along the longitudinal direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/798,374filed Mar. 2, 2001, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser.No. 09/336,620 filed Jun. 18, 1999 now abandoned, which in turn claimspriority of German Application Ser. No. DE 298 11 016.4 filed Jun. 19,1998.

The invention pertains to a device for adjusting a cover of anautomobile sunroof.

Sunroofs of this type contain at least one cover part for selectivelyclosing and at least partially opening an opening in a rigid roofsurface of an automobile, wherein said cover part can be tilted andslid. At least one cover carrying element is connected to the cover partand can be tilted about a first cam pin that extends transverse to thesliding direction of the cover part, wherein said cover carrying elementcan also be slid along the sliding direction in the tilted position.Guide rails are provided near the edges of the opening in the roof ofthe automobile in order to realize said sliding, wherein a transportcarriage can be slid along said guide rails. In addition, adjustmentmeans are provided for tilting the cover part in such a way that thetransport carriage and the cover part carry out a movement relative toone another along the sliding direction. If the cover part of suchsunroofs is slid above the roof surface of the automobile, they aregenerally referred to as “spoiler roofs.”

In such spoiler roofs, it is problematic that the same transportcarriage is used for realizing the tilting as well as the sliding of thecover part in that the sliding is usually not desired during the tiltingprocess. Consequently, a so-called switching process is required suchthat when opening the cover part at the end of the tilting phase, thecover part which is initially held and prevented from sliding can besuitably slid toward the rear in the tilted position during theadditional sliding of the transport carriage. This process takes placein the corresponding, reverse sequence when the sunroof is closed.

In one known spoiler roof (DE-C2 3,311,452) that was introduced on themarket quite some time ago, the cover part is rigidly connected to acover carrier that can be tilted and slid along a guide rail. In thiscase, the cover carrier represents a self-contained component that canbe slid in the same guide rail as the transport carriage, wherein thetilting axis of said cover carrier is positioned a significant distancein front of the transport carriage (as seen from the forward directionof the automobile). Consequently, the slidable assembly unavoidably hasa significant length that limits the maximum degree of opening the coverpart. This problem is particularly evident in spoiler roofs of thistype, particularly when they are retrofitted into automobiles. In thiscase, an opening lever is connected to the transport carriage via a camarrangement and to the cover carrier or the cover part via a turningknuckle in tilted/ articulated fashion. The cam arrangement allowsrelative movement between the opening lever and the transport carriages.In order to ensure that the cover part is not slid during the upwardtilting movement while the transport carriage carries out its initialadjusting movement, the opening lever contains a locking cam that, asthe tilting angle of the opening lever increases, continuously moves outof a catch opening in the guide rail, which is stationarily fixed to theframe and into the guide rail, until the locking cam is entirely locatedin the guide rail and can be slid therein. This means that all movingsequences must be coordinated in such a way that the cam arrangementbetween the transport carriage and the opening lever has reached theposition in which the sliding of the cover part was started at exactlythe instant in which the locking cam is completely moved into the guiderail. This switching process is associated with a certain jolt becausethe guide rail of the cam arrangement which initiates the switchingprocess and starts the sliding process must have a significantinclination of approximately 40° so as to not transmit excessively highclamping forces upon the various cams during the subsequent forwardsliding of the tilted cover.

During the forward sliding of the tilted cover part, one encounters theproblem that the locking cams are guided in the same guide rail as thetilting cam of the cover carrier and the transport I C,. carriage, andthat the locking cam must prevent a backward tilting of the cover partinto the closed position during this sliding phase of the cover part.Consequently, the friction, to which the locking cam is subjected in theguide rail, increases in proportion to the flatness of the guide rail ofthe cam arrangement which causes the aforementioned switching processes.This is the reason a compromise had to be found between the intensity ofthe jolt and the intensity of the friction.

The previously described problems were significantly reduced when aspoiler roof (DE-C2 4,405,583) was introduced to the market at a latertime. In this adjusting device, a toggle lever arrangement without guidecurves is used instead of a cam arrangement consisting of a guide curveand cams. In this case, only one component that can be slid in a guiderail fixed to the frame is provided. This component accommodates thetransport carriage as well as the cover carrier and makes it possiblefor both of these components to move relative to one another. A lockingpin assigned to the roof carrier serves for locking the cover carrier tothe rigid roof frame of the automobile during the tilting phase of thecover part. This locking pin cooperates with an opening in the guiderail that is rigidly connected to the automobile. In this knownadjusting device, the length of the movable assembly was reduced incomparison to previously known arrangements, and the friction during theforward and backward sliding is, significantly reduced in particular. Inaddition, the jolt occurring during the switching process waspractically eliminated due to the elimination of the cam arrangementbetween the opening lever and the transport carriage. However, thisadjusting device still has the disadvantage of a relatively complexdesign and, specifically, a large number of components, the assembly ofwhich is correspondingly complicated.

A significant reduction in the required components was achieved with theadjusting device according to WO 94/25301 which was introduced to themarket at a later time. In this case, only a cover carrier, a transportcarriage and a guide rail are required. Even the locking of the coverpart in the closed position within the rear region of the cover part canbe achieved with the previously described components. This isessentially achieved due to the fact that the pins for tilting the covercarrier are always guided in guide curves that intersect, wherein oneguide curve is rigidly arranged on the automobile and the other guidecurve is arranged in the transport carriage. This also makes it possibleto eliminate locking elements for holding the cover carrier during thetilting phase. The basic principle of guide curves that intersect oneanother and serve for simultaneously accommodating the tilting axes fora cover carrier is also known from Japanese Patent No. 1-54 208. In bothof these adjusting devices for spoiler roofs, the simplicity of whichcan scarcely be additionally improved, a noticeable jolt during thetransition from the tilting phase to the sliding phase of the cover partcannot be eliminated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a device for adjusting spoiler roofs of the initially mentioned type,the invention is based on the objective of minimizing the resistance,i.e. the friction during the transition from the tilting phase to thesliding phase or from the sliding phase to the tilting phase of thecover part despite the relatively short length of the transport carriageand a minimization of the required components.

This objective is attained with an adjusting device, wherein at leastone engagement means for separately engaging at least one transportcarriage and the adjusting means, e.g., a cover carrier, is provided inorder to tilt the cover part. In this case, the guide element for thecarriage element (transport carriage) is provided with at least onecontrol means, such that the carriage element and the adjusting elementare effectively engaged in the sliding direction, i.e., they are unableto carry out relative movements when the carriage element is slidbetween positions, between which the cover part is merely slid along thesliding direction in the tilted position. When the carriage element isslid between positions when the cover part is essentially aligned withthe roof opening and merely tilted, the carriage element and theadjusting element are not engaged, i.e., they are able to carry outrelative movements in the sliding direction.

In contrast to the state of the art according to DE-C2 3,311,452 orDE-C2 4,405,583, the cover carrier is no longer engaged to the guideelement, i.e., the guide rail that is rigidly fixed to the roof, bymeans of a separate engagement arrangement, but the separate engagementelement acts between the cover carrier or, in general, the adjustingmeans of the roof part and the carriage element, i.e., the transportcarriage.

Thus, the typical jolt that occurs during the transition from thetilting phase into the subsequent sliding phase of the cover part iseliminated. This is attained due to the fact that the cover part is notdisengaged from an initially engaged position by the engagement means atthe end of the tilting of the cover part because the engagement meansaccording to the invention is already in the disengaged position duringthe tilting phase and consequently does not fulfill the function ofholding the cover part with respect to the sliding direction during thetilting phase.

In the simplest instance, the engagement means according to theinvention only fulfills the function of a driver between the carriageand the adjusting means of the cover part when sliding the cover partinto the closing direction. Thus, frictional resistance as describedpreviously with reference to DE-C2 3,311,452 is reliably prevented.Frictional resistance as it occurs with the intersecting guide curvesaccording to WO 94/25301 can also be prevented with the engagement meansaccording to the invention because any constraints due to intersectingguide curves are practically eliminated during this moving phase as wellas during the transition from the sliding phase into the tilting phaseor from the tilting phase into the sliding phase.

Due to the very simple means according to the invention, excellentadvantages can be realized. These advantages are described in detailbelow with reference to various embodiments.

Additional characteristics that pertain in particular to the variousoptions of designing the engagement means as well as transitions betweenthe tilting phase and the sliding phase or the sliding phase and thetilting phase which are subject to particularly unnoticeable jolts aredisclosed.

The aforementioned components as well as the components claimed anddescribed in the embodiments and the components to be utilized inaccordance with the invention are not subject to any particularrestrictions regarding their size, shape, material selection andtechnical concept, i.e., the selection criteria known in the respectivefield of application can be applied in unlimited fashion. Additionaldetails, characteristics and advantages of the invention result from thefollowing description of the corresponding figures which show embodimentexamples of the adjusting device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will in part be obviousand in part pointed out in the following description taken together withthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a (section of a) spoiler roof that can be retrofitted andinstalled in the roof of a automobile, wherein the adjusting device islocated in the closed position;

FIG. 1B is a schematic horizontal section through the spoiler roofaccording to FIG. 1 A along line IB—IB;

FIG. 2A is the same spoiler roof in an operating position at the end ofthe tilting phase;

FIG. 2B is a horizontal section through the spoiler roof according toFIG. 2A (corresponding to the illustration in FIG. 1B);

FIG. 3A is the same spoiler roof, wherein the cover part is tiltedupward and partially slid toward the rear;

FIG. 3B is a horizontal section through the same spoiler roof during thephase according to FIG. 3A (corresponding to the sectionalrepresentations in FIGS. 1B and 2B);

FIG. 4A is a vertical section through the same spoiler roof along lineA—A in FIG. lA;

FIG. 4B is a vertical section through the same spoiler roof along lineB—B according to FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4C is a vertical section through the same spoiler roof along lineC—C according to FIG. 2A; FIG. 4D is a vertical section through the samespoiler roof along line D—D according to FIG. 2A;

FIG. 5A is a longitudinal section through the adjusting device of asecond embodiment of a spoiler roof (sectioned along line VA—VAaccording to FIG. 5B);

FIG. 5B is a top view of the same adjusting device (view E according toFIG. 5A), wherein the upper guide rail region is also visible in thisfigure;

FIG. 6A is the same adjusting device in operating position, in which thecover carrier is tilted and slid (corresponding to the operatingposition in FIG. 3), in the form of a longitudinal section along lineVIA—VIA according to FIG. 6B;

FIG. 6B is a top view of the same adjusting device (view D according toFIG. 6A), wherein the upper guide rail region is also visible in thisfigure;

FIG. 7A is a vertical section through the same spoiler roof along lineVIIA—VIIA according to FIG. 5A;

FIG. 7B is a vertical section through the same spoiler roof along lineVIIB—VIIB according to FIG. 6A;

FIG. 8A is a longitudinal section through a third embodiment of aspoiler roof which corresponds to the representation in FIG. 5A; and,

FIG. 8B is a longitudinal section through the same adjusting devicewhich corresponds to the representation in FIG. 6A.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1A through 4D, a separatelocking arrangement between the cover carrier and the transport carriageis realized in the form of a mechanically controllable engagement meansthat can be horizontally slid transverse to the sliding direction. Thisembodiment is described in detail below:

FIG. 1A shows that an approximately rectangular roof opening 14 withconventionally rounded comer regions is arranged in the roof surface 16of an automobile, e.g., a passenger car (not 1f shown in detail). At theedge of the opening, a two-part frame 13A, 13B surrounds the edge of theroof surface 16 near the opening in sealed fashion, e.g., as known fromretrofit sunroofs. Long extended guide elements 32 are connected to thesunroof frame 13A, 13B on both longitudinal edges of the roof opening.These guide elements which, for example, consist of extruded aluminumhave the function of guiding carriage elements 30, which are simplyreferred to as the transport carriages in the following description,along two parallel edges of the sunroof opening, which lie opposite oneanother, with little friction and play. The transport carriages 30respectively carry one cover carrying element 20 that is rigidlyconnected to the cover part 12 which closes the sunroof opening. Thecover carrying elements 20 are guided on or in the transport carriages30 such that they can be longitudinally slid between two extremepositions. The cover carrying elements 20 and the transport carriages 30are connected via a first front cam pin 22 provided on the carriageselement 30 which can be slid in a first guide curve 24 provided in thetransport carriage 30 so as to slightly raise the front edge of thecover (shown on the left side in FIG. 1A). A second cam pin 26 providedon the transport carriage 30 can be slid along a second guide curve 28provided in the cover carrying element 20. This second cam arrangementmakes it possible to raise the rear cover edge which is located on theright in FIG. 1A higher than the front cover edge, i.e., to tilt orpivot the cover 12 into the desired ventilation position above the roofsurface 16. In order to fulfill this function, the first and the secondguide curves 24 and 28 which generally extend in the same direction asthe guide elements 32 have a correspondingly curved progression.

In addition, a (third) guide curve 40 is provided. This guide curve islocated on the front end of the guide element 32 and initially extendsobliquely upward, whereafter it transforms into a horizontalprogression. The guide curve 40 guides a part of the first cam pin 22which extends through the first guide curve 24. Within the first sectionof the third guide curve 40 which extends obliquely upward toward therear, the first cam pin 22 and consequently the cover part 12 areprevented from sliding appreciably toward the rear. Within this section,the first cam arrangement rather carries out an upward movement that isonly slightly oriented toward the rear, wherein said movementsubsequently transforms into a more defined movement toward the rearwith a less defined upward movement. Consequently, the transitionbetween the tilting of the cover into the position shown in FIG. 2A andthe subsequent cover sliding phase into the open position shown in FIG.3A takes place very smooth and without jolts. This means that the covercarrying element initially moves significantly more slowly than thetransport carriage and only gradually assumes the speed of the transportcarriage. A cam arrangement 40, 22 of this type also serves for tiltingthe cover carrier independently of the carriage/ cover engagingaccording to the invention and the simultaneous penetration of theadditional guide curve 24, i.e., this cam arrangement itself hasinventive merit.

To the extent described thus far, all three embodiments of the presentinvention essentially correspond to the arrangement known from WO94/25301. The elements which are novel in comparison to the state of theart are described in detail below.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1A through 4D, the transportcarriage 30 has a horizontal slot in which an engagement means 34 ofpractically identical cross section is guided in low-friction fashion.The engagement means 34 consists of a relatively short formed piece withinclined surfaces on its ends, wherein said inclined surfaces correspondto a catch limit stop 38 on the cover carrying element 20 and aswitching surface 36B of a control means on the guide element 32 whichis designated by reference numeral 36. The control means 36 consists ofa vertically oriented inner wall region of the guide element 32 which isoriented parallel to the sliding direction (FIG. 1B) of the transportcarriage 30 indicated by a double arrow within its entire rear region(its right region in FIG. 1B). The control means 36 only has a differentprogression within its front region (its left region in the figure),wherein this different progression is realized in the form of adepression 36A in the guide element 32. In this case, one end of thedepression is formed by the switching surface 36B.

When the cover part 12 is closed and in the carriage positions, in whichthe cover part is tilted, i.e., in all positions between the carriagepositions shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A, the engagement means 34 in thetransport carriage 30 is slid outwardly and protrudes into theaforementioned depression 36A of the control means 36, whereby saidengagement means does not engage with the cover carrying element 20, butis rather prevented in appropriate fashion.

The first embodiment as well as the two other embodiments indicates thatit is preferred to subject the engagement means 34 to a mechanicalcontrol based on a suitable orientation of mutual control surfaces, whenengaging as well as disengaging the engagement means.

Once the transport carriage 30 is slid into the position shown in FIG.2A and FIG. 2B, the additional sliding of the transport carriage 30toward the rear (toward the right in the figure) causes the engagementmeans 34 to be moved out of its position by means of the switchingsurface 36B, i.e., the engagement means is moved out of the depressionof the control means 36 and simultaneously pressed into the engagedposition relative to the catch limit stop 38 on the cover carryingelement 20. FIG. 3B shows the new position of the engagement means 34.

During the additional sliding of the transport carriage 30 toward therear (toward the right in the figure), the engagement means 34 is stillnot subjected to any stress because the first cam pin 22 is now incontact with the front end of the first guide curve 24 of the transportcarriage 30, i.e., the transport carriage 30 drives the cover carryingelement 20 toward the rear.

When the transport carriage 30 is slid forward again from its openposition shown in FIGS. 3A/3B in order to gradually close the roofopening 14, the engagement means 34 in the transport carriage 30 drivesthe cover carrying element 20 and is subjected to stress. The engagementmeans 34 is only returned into its disengaged position according to FIG.2B shortly before the carriage sliding position shown in FIGS. 2A/2B isreached again. This process takes place automatically due to the forwardsliding of the transport carriage 30 (sliding toward the left in thefigure). This automation is attained due to a suitable inclination ofthe catch limit stop 38 and the corresponding end region of theengagement means 34, whereby the outer region of the first cam pin 22 isalready moved into the third guide curve 40 and adjoins the region ofthe guide curve which extends transversely downward in this position.Consequently, the resistance generated between the transport carriage 30and the cover carrying element 20 only need be high enough that theengagement means 34 is laterally slid into the depression 36A of thecontrol means 36. If the corresponding inclined surfaces of the engaginglimit stop 38 and the engagement means 34 are suitably shaped, the forcerequired for this lateral sliding is so low that it can be barelynoticed.

Consequently, the end of the sliding path of the cover part 12 in theclosing direction and the transition into the lowering phase of thecover part 12 are not subject to jolts. This effect is even promoted dueto the fact that the first guide curve 24 in the transport carriage 30has a nearly horizontal progression on its front end 24A, i.e., aprogression that extends parallel to the guide element 32. This nearlyhorizontal progression not only serves as an insertion aid into the openend of the third guide curve 40, but also allows a completely smoothtransition of the movement of the first cam pin 22 from its raisedposition into the subsequent lowering phase.

The first embodiment as well as all embodiments described below are alsosuitable for several cover parts that are arranged behind one another,i.e., so-called multi-spoiler roofs.

In the second embodiment according to FIGS. 5A through 7B, only thedesign of the engagement means 34 differs from that of the firstembodiment: in this case, the engagement means 34 is no longer arrangedin slidable fashion, but rather in tilted fashion on the transportcarriage 30. An opening in the transport carriage 30 which is adapted tothe cross section of the engagement means may, in contrast to the firstembodiment, be eliminated. FIGS. 5B and 6B clearly show that theengagement means contains a pivot arm 34A that is realized in the formof a one-armed lever, carries the engagement means 34 on its free leverend, and contains a pivot point 34B arranged on the transport carriage30 on its front end. A cam arrangement 22, 24 analogous to that of thefirst embodiment is also provided in the second embodiment but is notshown in the figure because it is arranged inside the transport carriage30.

In the third embodiment according to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the difference incomparison to the first embodiment can be seen in the fact that themoving direction of the engagement means 34 does not extendhorizontally, but rather vertically, whereby the control means 36 islocated on the bottom wall of the guide element 32. In other respects,the design of the engagement means in the form of a lever corresponds tothat of the second embodiment according to FIGS. 5A through 7B.

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:
 1. An adjustingdevice for a sunroof that contains at least one cover part forselectively closing and at least partially opening an opening in a rigidroof surface of an automobile, wherein the roof opening is limited by abase part with side parts that lie opposite one another and define alongitudinal direction, and wherein said cover part can be tilted aswell as slid along said longitudinal direction, said adjusting devicecomprising, at least one cover carrying element that is connected tosaid cover part and that can be pivoted about a first cam pin whichextends transverse to said longitudinal direction and can slide alongsaid longitudinal direction, at least one guide element that extendsalong said longitudinal direction and that is provided on said basepart, a single carriage element that is slidably guided along each ofsaid guide element, wherein said carriage element moves said cover partand said cover carrying element, an adjusting means for tilting andsliding said cover part, wherein said adjusting means connects saidcover part to the carriage element such that they can be moved relativeto one another and can slide along said longitudinal direction, at leastone engagement means for independently engaging said carriage elementand said cover carrying element in said longitudinal direction forentrainment of said cover carrying element in said longitudinaldirection while sliding said cover part only in said longitudinaldirection towards its tilting position, said at least one guide elementbeing provided with at least one control means, such that said carriageelement and said cover carrying element are effectively engaged in saidlongitudinal direction preventing movement relative to one another, whensaid carriage element slides between positions between which said coverpart only slides in said longitudinal direction in the tilted position,and, said carriage element and said cover carrying element beingdisengaged from one another so that each is able to move relative to theother in said longitudinal direction when said carriage element slidesbetween positions in which said cover part is generally aligned withsaid roof opening and tilted.
 2. The adjusting device of claim 1,wherein said engagement means acts on one side of said cover carryingelement and is arranged so that it only transmits driving forces ontosaid cover carrying element during the closing movement of said carriageelement during sliding.
 3. The adjusting device of claim 2, wherein theengagement means engages behind the rear end region of the adjustingmeans in the engaged position.
 4. The adjusting device of claim 2,wherein the control means is arranged on the guide element, and thecontrol means contains a depression for partially accommodating theengagement means in the disengaged position.
 5. The adjusting device ofclaim 1, wherein said control means contains a switching surface forsliding said engagement means during the opening movement of saidcarriage element from the disengaged position into a position in whichsaid carriage element and said cover carrying element are engaged. 6.The adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the engagement means isprovided with a pivot arm for pivoting the engagement means about apivot point arranged on the carriage element.
 7. The adjusting device ofclaim 1, including a first cam arrangement and a second cam arrangementthat act between the cover carrying element and the carriage element forraising and lowering movements of the adjusting means.
 8. The adjustingdevice of claim 7, wherein the first cam arrangement is for raising thefront edge of the cover and is provided with a front guide curve zonewhich is aligned to the longitudinal direction and slopes rearwardly tosaid longitudinal direction.
 9. The adjusting device of claim 1,including a third guide curve that acts between said adjusting means andsaid guide element, said third guide curve arranged within the front ofsaid guide element having a region that extends obliquely upward andtransforms into a region that extends approximately parallel to saidlongitudinal direction.
 10. The adjusting device of claim 9, wherein thethird guide curve contains an opening that is directed toward the rearand acts as an inlet and an outlet for the first cam pin.